Health News - Tuesday, April 3, 2007
A newly discovered molecule could lead to a whole new way of fighting high blood fats such as triglycerides and cholesterol, researchers say. The molecule, abbreviated as GPIHBP1, sits on the surface of the endothelium, the delicate lining of blood vessels. It captures molecular particles called chylomicrons, which then deliver fats called triglycerides to cells that use them as fuel.
"We suspect that GPIHBP1 mutations will eventually be uncovered in humans with inherited forms of hyperlipidemia [high blood cholesterol levels]," said lead researcher Anne Beigneux, an assistant investigator at the University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine. "We further suspect that defective regulation of GPIHBP1 will ultimately be shown to be related to acquired hyperlipidemias in humans." Targeting the molecule could someday become a means of treating high levels of cholesterol and other fats, the researchers said. They published the findings in the April isssue of Cell Metabolism. Continue reading
Combining two commonly used medications can provide faster, long-lasting relief of migraine pain than using either drug alone, concludes a new study. The study compared the use of a new combination pill that includes sumatriptan (brand name Imitrex) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) to use of either drug alone and to a placebo for moderate to severe migraines.
The researchers found that the combination therapy provided headache relief within two hours for as many as 65 percent of the study volunteers compared to about 28 percent for placebo. Up to 55 percent reported that Imitrex alone provided relief, while as many as 44 percent felt that naproxen gave them relief from their headache. "The combination product is superior to the individual products alone," explained study author, Dr. Jan Lewis Brandes, a neurologist with the Nashville Neuroscience Group and an assistant clinical professor of neurology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn. "It really targets more of what's happening in the brain during migraine. Sumatriptan works to constrict the blood vessels and interrupt pain, while naproxen works on the inflammatory process." Results of the study are in the April 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Continue reading
It's too soon to tell if standard pregnancy weight gain advice should be abandoned, but a recent study suggests fat mothers run four times the risk of giving birth to a child who will be overweight at age 3, compared to women who gain less than the advised amount. The problem is defining how much weight is overweight. According to the study, even accepted weight gains may raise the risk of having an overweight child, and the result was about the same for women who gained more than the advisable amount.
Lisa Bodner, an assistant professor of epidemiology and obstetrics-gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, says the new work adds to previous indications Institute of Medicine guidelines issued in 1990 may need to be revised. IOM is a private non-governmental organization that advises the federal government. Bodner, who didn't participate in the new study, called it one of the most rigorous to address the question. Continue reading